It was always my dream to become famous, be gorgeous like all the actresses, be followed around by fans, and just to be popular in my school. It wasn’t until second grade I realized all this doesn’t really matter. I realized what was really important.

I went to the dirty, old hospital every single day. It wasn’t because I was sick it was because I had to visit my mom because she was very ill. The first day that my mother went to the hospital, I didn’t think very much of it. After the doctor said that she had a brain tumor, I got very worried. One day the doctors told us that they have to shave off all her hair so they can take some test. This was very hard for my mom, but this ended up being one of the better things that happened to her. After a year, the tumor kept getting worse and eventually she got lung cancer. Then what I had been scared of happened, on June 6, 2003 my mother died of lung cancer. I was at my cousin’s house when it happened and my dad came running in and broke me the news. I was shocked at first, but then I felt helpless and cried.

After my mother died I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to do. That was when I realized that there are more important things other then becoming popular, being famous, or being gorgeous. I realized that being there for people and caring for them is the most important thing.